Haysom-Soering: Parent-killer speaks out about ex-BF

Elizabeth Haysom, 46, claims her former lover Jens Soering, 44, is guilty of murdering her parents. Haysom's anticipated release date is in 2032; Soering has been eligible for parole since 2003.

HAYSOM PHOTO COURTESY VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Elizabeth Haysom, sentenced to 90 years for the brutal murder and near-decapitation of her parents, has broken her silence from prison with a letter to the Associated Press that insists her former boyfriend, Jens Soering, who is trying to get paroled to Germany, is guilty.

The AP also reports Soering's attorney sent a sworn statement to the governor from Lynchburg resident Tony Buchanan, who says Haysom picked up a bloody car from his transmission shop with another man– who was not Soering–- months after Derek and Nancy Haysom were slain in 1985.

Soering, who met Haysom while both were students at UVA, has long maintained that he confessed to the crime because he believed his father's status as a diplomat would give him immunity. Former governor Tim Kaine okayed his transfer to Germany before he left office in 2010, but that was nixed by incoming Governor Bob McDonnell. Soering has been eligible for parole since 2003.

24 comments

NancyDrew March 23rd, 2011 | 12:49pm

I would not believe the claims of Elizabeth Haysom, love and truth make strange bedfellows.

jrp March 23rd, 2011 | 3:05pm

I think that we should not judge ourselves or others by the worst things we've done in our lives but instead by the way we carry ourselves every day. I had the opportunity to work with Ms. Haysom for several years during her incarceration. I will attest to the fact that she carries herself with grace, humility, and dignity and has tried her best to become a better person than she was when this crime occurred.

Jan March 23rd, 2011 | 3:36pm

I absolutely believe her. Her story makes sense. His does not.

She no longer has reason to lie. He does.

St. Halsey March 23rd, 2011 | 3:48pm

Soering admits he lied because he "thought" he had tranferable diplomatic immunity from his father? "I'm just a stupid perjurer not a cold blooded murderer". This very smart guy admitted to a crime he didn't commit before he bothered to find out if he actually had that immunity? If I was going lie about commiting a crime, that I could get a death sentence for, I would want to be 100% sure that immunity actually existed. Is that the best he can do after al these years?

Why would Haysom lie now? It just doesn't make any sense at all.

The side effect of all this is George Allen will use this against Tim Kaine during the Senate race. We are all going to get sick of seeing Soering on negative ads. Kaine better come out with a really good reason he tried to let this privledge convicted murderer out of prison and why this wasn't some high level favor for the German government.

Backwoods Southern Lawyer March 23rd, 2011 | 7:08pm

The combination of Biscuit Run and Jens Soering will make it very difficult for many moderates and Democrat-leaning voters to vote for Kaine ever again. The fact that each of these issues arose in the last several months of his term make it all the more galling.

Cville Eye March 23rd, 2011 | 11:31pm

I agree with Backwoods Southern Lawyer. It all sounds crooked to me.

Fred March 23rd, 2011 | 11:59pm

He is guilty as sin. The death penalty is too good for that killer. Immunity that.

Linda Z. March 24th, 2011 | 5:40am

Have you read anything about his cause Fred? How can you, with any means, be absolutely convicted that "He is guilty as sin"? None of us will EVER know the absolute truth - of any cause. The system you feel so safe in is based on a justice system that is run by people - and guess what: People make mistakes. Every day. I cannot say if Elizabeth is guilty or not or if Jens is, but I do know that we shouldn't just judge people we have never met in our life based on newspaper articles or a TV show. Despite that everyone deserves a second chance - especially after 25 years behind bars.

Jan March 24th, 2011 | 6:09am

I've read all about his cause. There are so many details even in his own writing that line up with his guilt -- not to mention his consistent refusal to take a polygraph over the years. For one example, in his Mortal Thoughts book, he describes the hotel room and half-eaten room service after the murders but nothing about the room while waiting during the murders. Why? Because the author himself has no recollection and it didn't occur to him to make anything up. Despite his best attempt to weave an innocent story, there are many holes, as always is the case with liars.

NancyDrew March 24th, 2011 | 6:16am

Why wasn't DNA evidence found at the scene if he is guilty, or in the car that was reported to have blood in it ?

Jan March 24th, 2011 | 7:58am

From what I understand, the DNA was collected 25 years ago before investigators even used DNA evidence. Soering had one small injury amid a sea of blood found at the crime scene. Unless they tested every drop of blood found from 25 years ago before they even knew what to look for, it doesn't surprise me that they didn't find Soering's DNA. Before they were aware of proper procedures, there was ample opportunity for evidence contamination. Yet, Jens is running with this evidence like it's some kind of exoneration. Same way with Elizabeth's "confession." She says, "I did it. I got off on it." And, it's so clear in the context of the whole conversation that she's being facetious that even the interviewers at the time realize she's making a joke, admittedly a joke in bad taste. Yet Soering is running with that, too. If that's the best he's got, he has nothing except a lot of rhetoric.

Angel Eyes March 24th, 2011 | 11:29am

One of the thoughts going through my mind in regards to both perps is how tough it must be as a middle-aged person to sit in a prison cell doing "life without parole" and contemplate the now trivial sexual infatuation that led one to plan and the other to execute such a sordid crime. Plenty of time to think about about how different their lives might have been.
I feel a certain sympathy for Soering who as a lovesick puppy was duped by his nasty skank of a girlfriend into committing this horrible crime on her behalf. there's another local fellow, "Doc" Lester who's in prison for killing George Moody on his Rumanian/Hungarian "Countess" girlfriend's behalf. I'm not religious at all, but it's interesting that the authors of the Old Testament have the woman as the originator of manipulation and treachery. Betcha Soering rues the day his path crossed Haysom's and, truth be told, he should be the one to get parole since he was really only the gun in the hand of the murderer.

Here's the good news March 24th, 2011 | 1:51pm

Neither of the killers have been allowed to breed and that's got to be a good thing. The world is better off without these guilt murder's progeny.

jrp March 24th, 2011 | 10:31pm

"One of the thoughts going through my mind in regards to both perps is how tough it must be as a middle-aged person to sit in a prison cell doing "life without parole" and contemplate the now trivial sexual infatuation that led one to plan and the other to execute such a sordid crime. Plenty of time to think about about how different their lives might have been."

Both Haysom and Soering have come up for parole numerous times.

Oldman March 25th, 2011 | 8:18am

I too have read alot about this case (being at UVa then)and I saw 90% of the trial on TV (it was live televised). There are real anomalies in both JS's and EH's accounts of what happened.If JS sure has a motive for lying now-so too does EH (who also hopes for parole and not to be known as the literal parent killer).JS was convicted on "'she said" evidence-and that's that.I do know his lawyer was incompetent at the trial which should effect our eval of this sad case.

Angel Eyes March 26th, 2011 | 9:17am

JRP;
Yes I know they've both come up for and are eligible for parole (though neither is likely to be granted parole). The reference to life without is in quotes because it refers to the country song about "Mama Tried" and is intended as humor. Sorry it got by you...

Yes March 26th, 2011 | 11:45am

"Life without parole" is a common legal sentence, and really isn't identifiable as an allusion to the Hag.

HollowBoy March 28th, 2011 | 10:22am

I frankly have no problem with Soering being shipped back to Germany. Let them keep him locked up or release him as they see fit. Save Virginia taxpayers the expense of taking care of him.
Of course he should never be allowed back into this country as part of the agreement.
He,and that for that matter Elizabeth Haysom, would be very unlikely to commit other crimes if released. Its when they turn loose the Carlton Arnolds after a short sentence and they commit more crimes within hours after getting out that is infuriating

jrp March 29th, 2011 | 6:51am

"Life without parole" is a common legal sentence, and really isn't identifiable as an allusion to the Hag.

That and the confusion about parole eligibility after the abolishment of parole in the mid-90s made me think the statement called for some clarification...

Jimmy March 30th, 2011 | 7:28am

Is he innocent? I cannot tell you. Nobody can. Accept Jens and Elisabeth.

Facts:

- The judge was a good friend of Mr. and Ms. Haysom.
- The attorney of Jens was mentally disabled.
- There was no “DNA proof”.
- The new witness makes the whole case even more opaquely.

Good arguments, to return him, after 25 years behind bars, to Germany.

But:
Let us say an American citizen, is, also through questionable circumstances, sentenced to life. Can he be deported to somewhere (and be after released after 2 years)? Probably not. Is that fair?

Skeptic March 31st, 2011 | 9:06am

Consider Soering's behavior in the weeks after the murder, not his well-polished position 26 years later.

Plenty of legitimate and interesting case information is available online regarding his lack of cooperation with investigators, his disappearing act from the Newark airport in New Jersey, incriminating diaries and love letters swapped with Haysom, his three-year battle against extradition...and on it goes.

This is the real-life equivalent of a tawdry film noir, spiced up with a bisexual femme fatale, international intrigue and a really grisly double-homicide. If either of the perps were a little more photogenic, this sad tale might have been an ABC Sunday night movie of the week.

I'm betting neither of them ever sees the outside of a prison. Not during this life.

Twist of Fate March 31st, 2011 | 11:36am

Ah, the vagaries of fate. With slight changes in his choices, Soering could have ended up a UVA Darden grad and gotten paid for his inclinations by some multinational megacorp.

She's the liar April 3rd, 2011 | 4:12am

@ Jan
"She no longer has reason to lie. He does." Oh really, she no longer has reason to lie?? How do YOU know? How about she's just wicked and feels that when she has to stay in prison until 2032, so should he?? That's at least a possibility, isn't it?!
Oh and did you actually read EVERYTHING about this case? Because if you did, you'd have to agree that what he's saying makes way more sense than her stories - judging by the evidence, like the lack of his DNA at the scene, the sock print fitting Elizabeth's foot also, her history of drug abuse, her personality disorder etc. etc.!
Open your eyes - I know you want to believe in the unfailing American justice system, but this trial was a SHAME!!

George June 27th, 2011 | 5:38pm

Soering's strategy is simple: tell the Giant Lie long enough and people will be stupified into believing it. The defect in the strategy is that Soering is a sociopathic egocentrist, at heart fairly dumb all in all, and cannot see therefore that there are morons who believe him but not enough to be of use. He's the worst kind of savage murderer and barbarian trash who, if the Commonwealth maintains its integrity (it will, now that the pathetic wimp Kaine is out of office), will remain in Virginia penitentiaries until he is where he put the poor Haysoms after stabbing them dozens of times: the graveyard. Were the Europeans not cowards, Soering the knife-slashing double murderer would have been long executed: were there any chance of that now, he should be dispatched post haste.